POLISHED: Color Club Winter Affair Mini Set

it would've been ideal if i got this post up before Christmas but sadly, it is not the case. i apologize! these nail colors are still great for the holidays! it is called the Winter Affair Collection and winter here lasts til like May so that's plenty of time! ;)

i remember i was at a Winners for an entirely different purpose when this cute little set caught my eye - i honestly cannot remember what i was actually looking for though... this mini collection consists of 4 of the 6* Winter Affair polishes and i loved each color so much that there was no way i was putting this down.

* i put an asterisk by that 6 because confusingly enough there are actually 8 different colors BUT only 6 nail polish names. in other words, there are actually 2 versions of the Holiday's 2012 Winter Affair Collection out there - the "regular" version and the "Sally Beauty" version. the versions differ in that 2 of the colors in each set are different but still have the same name. confusing, i know! "Gift of Sparkle" is a purple glitter in the "regular" version while in the "Sally Beauty" one, it is a blue foil. "Winter Affair" is usually a shimmery burgundy but in the "Sally Beauty" version, it is a gold foil.

"Berry and Bright"

the red is actually a deeper red than shown here... check below for a better representation

this red is the most beautiful red i have ever seen... it's a shimmery cherry red that is the very definition of 'festive'. the formula was a bit tricky though - it was very thick and goopy. 1 coat is sufficient but it looks slightly duller than what 2 coats gives you (which is a bright berry!).
between this one and the next two colors, "Berry and Bright" was the most chip-resistant (lasted 4+ days without chipping and without a topcoat). removing the polish took a bit of effort, especially around the edges. the red shimmer also got everywhere on my hand.

playing with the light to show you how the color changes

"Ho-Ho-Holly"

i know i just said this about the red, but THIS is the most beautiful green i have ever seen... they look so beautiful together! if i had any nail art skills, i would not hesitate to use "Berry and Bright" and "Ho-Ho-Holly" together.
"Ho-Ho-Holly" is a shimmery green foil with some gold in it. i absolutely loved looking at my nails and moving my fingers back and forth to change the lighting because it just looks so cool! the formula on this one was also very thick, which made it hard to bend the brush the way you want to. i used 2 coats since the first one was somewhat streaky. the polish started to chip two days later - not so much on the edges but on random areas on the nail like the center. removal was a long process since it was like removing two layers - first the green and then the gold. like "Berry and Bright", the green shimmer got a little messy during the removal process.

so prettyyy...

"Gift of Sparkle"

the one i got, which is the "regular" version, is a purple with a ton of holographic glitter. the "Sally" version of "Gift of Sparkle" is a blue foil.
again, the formula was thick so it was hard to control. these 3 polishes need some thinning (which i should Google on how to do this). first coat was slightly patchy so i used 2 coats. if you don't like the gritty feeling, you'd want to put a topcoat on this. within a couple days, there were some chipping on the edges of my nails. you could guess how long it took to remove this one... look at all that glitter!

the pics on the right (artificial lighting) is more accurate

"Snow-Flakes"

this polish was the initial reason why i got really excited about this set (but i also quickly fell in love with the other colors). i've been wanting Essie's Shine of the Times and this is pretty much the same thing! my first flakie polish! i lurveee this topcoat! the flakes change from yellow to orange to green. i used 2 coats of "Snow-Flakes" over 2 coats of e.l.f.'s "Punk Purple". i wonder what polish i should use this over next!
also, i can see the ball inside this polish but when i shake it, i can't hear it... i am assuming this is the case with the other three polishes in this set... there is probably a ball but the formula is just too thick to mix!
removing this depends on the color you layered it over... here it was pretty easy but i have to warn you that "Punk Purple" stains like no other. no joke, it looks like i painted my nails with a fluorescent pink highlighter.

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the size of each mini is 7 mL. i purchased this mini set for $6.99 at Winners. Sally Beauty also has a mini set but with the blue version of "Gift of Sparkle" rather than the purple and it is scented. from my research online, it seems that only the Sally Beauty version is scented - if you are lucky, you can have nail polish that smells like pomegranates, wooded herbs (what?) and cocoa marshmallow! the 6-piece full-sized set ("regular" version) on NailPolishCanada.com goes for $35 but is currently unavailable.

which one do you like best? what is your favorite holiday polish?